Beirut, Tyre & Baalbeck, Lebanon
Trip Start
May 10, 2009
1
13
24
Trip End
Jul 17, 2009
Beirut, Lebanon
Friday, June 5, 2009
Lebanon is striking on too many levels. First, the Lebanese people have probably suffered more in recent history than any other nation on earth- owing to Israeli and Syrian occupation and a brutal, bloody civil war. Politics revolve around the past, with the current regime, led by the Hariri family, running on the tragic assassination of Rafiq Hariri a few years ago and the opposition, Hezbollah, reinforcing the continued mistreatment of Lebanon by Israel and the international community in many of their ad campaigns and hot topic issues
My first taste of Lebanon - McArabia
. Since most Lebanese are reluctant to discuss politics and instead are focused on living their lives, especially when at a restaurant or a bar, I only got to pierce the surface of the national psyche. After checking into my hotel I decided to take a walk around the downtown without my guidebook. The first thing I noticed is the infamous Holiday Inn Tower, a massive skyscraper that dominates the skyline. Finished at the outbreak of the civil war, the hotel never had a chance to open and was severely damaged during the fighting. Like many other towers, it still stands, stripped of everything and anything of value, and serves as a stark reminder of this nation's violent past.
But just beside the Holiday Inn - and beside every other hollowed-out, bomb-ridded tower - there are new luxury condominiums rising. The new downtown, dubbed Solidere and financed through Rafiq Hariri (former prime minister) and lots of Saudi oil money, is a gleaming re-creation of Beirut's old city. It's a compound of high-luxury, with sleek new hotels, tons of banks, Versace megastores and Ferrari showroowms... and TGI Friday's. Seriously, you'd think you were in Dubai walking these streets. But the place was largely deserted and it felt artificial and uninspired. Aside from the gorgeous Hariri Mosque, beside which the former Prime Minister is burried, there are no cultural institutions such as a museum or opera, or entertainment venues like a movie theater
Holiday Inn
. I don't want to go on slamming neo-liberal whatever, but it felt uncomfortable walking through the empty, luxurious, highly guarded streets after seeing so much poverty in Tripoli and the norht. After walking through the downtown I hit Hamra, which is the young and hip student area to the side of the American University of Beirut. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed in the university, despite carrying my American passport with me. The university area is fantastic, and in addition to lots of affordable boutiques and international restaurant chains (NANDO'S!), I spent some time in lovely bookstores, coffee shops and bars.
I went to the bar Leila works at - Amigo's - and thought the mood lighting was a bit much, but later learned there was a blackout and they don't have a generator. Blackouts occur constantly here- some places have generators, others close or manage to conduct business without power. There's no logic or schedule to it, for the most part - my hotel, for example, lost power every day 1-3, but on one morning it went out at 8AM, another evening it was out until 9PM, and one afternoon it was out when I got back at 6PM. Anyways, at the bar I met a fantastic older gentleman who told me about his experience living in Lebanon's south. He had a restaurant in Sour and was friends with the Maronite Prime Minister Bashir (later assassinated- see Waltz With Bashir)
Downtown Beirut
. He told me about one evening, around 3AM or something, when Bashir woke him up and asked him to serve Ariel Sharon, who was bringing Israeli troops to Beirut! It was incredibly interesting and one of the few political conversations I had here. His brothers have been in the USA for the last 20 years or so and started a hummus company in New Hampshire but he can't bring himself to leave Lebanon, despite his hatred for political insecurity and love for Disney World.The next day was more of the same - I visited some contemporary art galleries on the city's outskirts and shmyed at ABC, another luxury center in Beirut. Also hit the National Museum, which was superb, and hitched a motorcycle ride to a far-off gallery with a member of the "Secret Lebanese FBI". Ate dinner at Le Chef, a great local joint, and met a few university students at a coffee shop in the evening, although the conversation revolved around brands and American pop music, whereas I was trying to learn more about the elections.
Next day I went deep into Lebanon's south, to Tyre, where people were incredibly friendly. I walked through a Palestinian refugee camp with a local, which was more city than camp, although I wasn't allowed to photograph. Had the best humus ever at a shop run by a British expat and talked to some Germans who flew in to vote in the election, even though they don't have any family here
Downtown Beirut - New and Old
. Saw the "Sea Castle", which is a small fortress a few yards into the sea, and spend an hour or two walking through the souk. On my last day I took a minibus up to Baalbeck to see the Roman ruins there. During the 2-hour drive over Mt Lebanon we passed a massive new bridge project financed by USAID, which had a large billboard that read: "A Gift to Lebanon from the American People". Also, there were USAID booths at the ABC mall, strangely. Baalbeck was exquisite, as was the Palmyra Hotel and the surrounding village.
And that's Lebanon. And I'm exhausted, my bank account balance is eroding too quickly, and this entire country will shut down for 3 days to vote, so I've decided to leave for Damascus tomorrow, a day before the elections. But from walking around and talking and whatnot, it seems like things really are 50/50... I've met Christians for Hezbollah, plenty of Palestinians for Hariri, and vice-versa Everything is entirely peaceful at the moment, but there's clearly a certain tension hanging in the air, perhaps as strong as the horrible/insane humidity that makes Beirut terribly uncomfortable in the summer. But if there's anything everyone I've met supports, it's a peaceful and fair election... let's hope...
Also: After watching Obama's speech at an internet cafe and, again, with locals, I can honsetly say that never, ever have I been so proud of my country. But even after a speech as strong and powerful as Obama's, the word on the street is - we've heard enough words... we're ready for action.
